Labeling-machine.



F. W. WILD, JR. LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED F314, 1909..

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' F. W. WILD, JR. LABELING MACHINE.

. APPLICATION FILED 1112.4, 1909.

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Patented 0015151912.

' P. W. WILD,- JR. LABELING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED PEBA, 1909.

Patented 0ct.15,1912.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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; F. w. WILD, JR. LABELING MACHINE;

' APPLICATION FILED FEBA, 1909.

6 BHBETSSHEET 6.

wmzssss INVENTOR Atfdmeyd Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

PJW. WILD, JR;

LABELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED PEBA, 1909.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

6 SHEET BSEEET 6.

WITNESSES 'INVENYUR mmm j,

,us'rrnn STATES PATENT curios.

FREDERICK W. WILD, JIL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR- 'I'O BURT MACHINE COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.-

To all whnm 'i t may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. WILD,

Jr., ofthe city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain Improvements in Labeling-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved machine whereby labels are applied to the heads of cans without respect to the bodies which may or may not be provided with labels, as will hereinafter fully appear.

In thefurther description of the said invention which follows, reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and in which,

F'gure 1 is an exterior side view of the improved labeling machine, and Fig. 2 a plan of the same. .Fig. 3 an end View of the machine looking in the direction indicated by "the arrow in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section ofFig. 1, taken on the dotted line w-m. Fig. 5 is a still further enlarged end view of a part of the label holder. Fig.

6 a section of Fig.5 taken on the dotted line y- 'z together with certain other parts of the label holder a stack of labels, and a portion of a can against which the labels are pressed. Fig. 7 is a view illustrating the general appearance of the machine as constructed to label cans when the same are in a position differing from that in which, they are shown in the preceding figures. 1

Referring now to the drawings, 1 is the frame of the machine, and 2 the main or driving shaft supported by suitable bearings formed in the frame, and provided With the driving pulley 3.

5 is the first driven shaft, situated directly over the driving shaft 2,and rotated therefrom by the spur gear wheels 7, 9 and 10 (see particularly Figs. 1 and 2) the centra'l oneof which, 9, is an idler. At one end oftheshaft 5, and directly above the drivingpulley (see Fig. 2) is a spur gear wheel 1 2,,whifch is-in mesh with a similar and larger wheel 13 on the shaft 14, the bearing which is shown in Fig. 2 and denoted by h shaft 14 is at the delivery en of the m inei,.and at the entrance end of the machine ,isiai shaft 15, similar'to the one 14, and whosebearing is represented by b. Toeach Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February v4, 1909. Serial N 0. 476,144,

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

of these shafts is fastened a sprocket wheel, and the two wheels are respectively denoted by 16 and 17. Over these sprocket wheels is placed the conveyer sprocket chain 19 whereby the cans, during the labeling operation, are carried from theentrance to the delivery end of the machine.

20, 20 are carriers, whereby the cans are moved in unison with the upper lay of the sprocket chain, and they are fastened to the chain at a common distance apart. In order that the upper lay of the sprocket chain shall be maintained in a straight line, the f angular base 0 of each pair of carriers is 65 provided with a groove d at its lateral edges, which grooves receive the edges of the fixed bars 21 which are supported in any suitable manner by brackets 22, one of which is shown in Fig. 3 as projecting from the frame 1. The said brackets also support the fixed guide plates 23 and 24' situated respectively at the entrance and the delivery end of the machine, and which, in connection with an adjustable continuous guide bar 25, serve to conduct, iii-proper positions, cans from the entrance runway 27 to the sprocket chain, and from the said chain to the dediver y runway 29.

in order to accommodate cans of different lengths or heights, and for this purpose it is supported by horizontally extending stems 30 which pass loosely through the upper ends of vertical stands 31 erected on the frame 1. When this guide bar is correctly adjusted to suit the length of the cans to be labeled, the stems are tightened by the set screws e. I

33, 33 are brackets, secured to one side of the frame 1 and separated 'to a proper distance apart. These brackets serve as supports for the rods 35 and answer the purpose of a track along which is moved a certain main carriage hereinafter described, to which are attached the means for applying paste to the heads of cans, devices for aflixing labels to the pasted heads, and other devices fo-r pressing the afiixed labels tightly to the can heads, as hereinafter described. The said brackets also embody bearings f for a shaft 37 carrying a miter gear wheel ing a smaller diameter than the wheels 9 and 10, as shown in Fig. 1.

It is necessary for the proper operation of the machine as hereinafter described, that the main carriage 42 before briefly referred to, should have a limited reciprocating movement longitudinally of the track formed by the rails 35, and to this end the shaft 37 is provided with a cam 43 with an exterior spiral "groove 9 (shown only in Figs. 1 and 3) and the lower side of the carriage with a roller '44 which rests in the groove; and it is also necessary that the speed of the carriage for a period slightly in excess of that during which the different operations embraced in the work of afiixing a label to a can head is performed, should be the same as that of the conveyer chain 19; and it is desirable that the motion of the carriage should diminish in speed when nearing the end of either the forward or backward stroke, so as to avoid shock at the time that the direction of movement of the carriage is reversed. To effect this reduction in speed of the main carriage as described, the pitch of the groove decreases as it approaches the ends of the cam as is clearly shown in Fig. 1.

45, 47 and 49 are secondary carriages, situated on the main carriage 42, and adapted to have a reciprocating motion transversely of that device; and to admit of this movement they are arranged to slide on fixed bars 50 supported by lugs it formed integral with the main carriage 42. To eifect a common movement of the three secondary'carriages,

and-at the same time that the main carriage is performing its rapid movement, there is placed beneath the main carriage and supported in bearings formed on the brackets 33, a shaft 52 provided with three cranks 53, 54 and 55 having elongated pins j, and from the bottom of each secondary carriage there depends a branched lug 56 which spans the elongated pin of the crank beneath it, as best shown in Fig. 4.

It is not intended that the crank shaft. 52 shall perform a complete rotation,' but instead a partial one in which the secondary carriages are made to approach the -conveyer chain, and then reced e to their original positions; and it is during the forward movement of the secondary carriages that the entire labeling operation hereinafter described is performed.

The rocking movement of the crank shaft is effected primarily from the cam 43, the face of which to the left in Fig. 1 is pro- 7:, and at the other end with a toothed sector 7 60, the teeth of which are in mesh with the teeth of a mutilated spur pinion 62 which is tight on the crank shaft.

By reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the inner and outer portions of the cam groove is are concentric with the shaft 37; consequently, the secondary carriages make an extended stop at the termination of each single stroke; and in view of the remaining portions of the groove being straight the secondary carriages have a rapid motion between the stops.

64 is a pulley placed loosely on the fixed stud 65 (see Fig. 2) projecting upwardly from the carriage 42, and 66, 66 are brackets (see Figs. 2 and 3) secured to the'inner ends of the fixed bars 50 upon which the secondary carriage 45 slides. Supported by these brackets are vertical pins 67, about which rollers 69 (see Fig. 2) are adapted to rotate. Stretched over the pulley 64, and the rollers 69 is an endless pasting belt or apron 70, formed of flexible material, such as sheet rubber or some textile fabric.

72 isa cylindrical paste potpivoted at n to the main carriage 42, and held in contact with the pasting belt by means of a spring 73. \Vithin this paste pot is a roller 75 which is free to rotate on a stud 77; and by reference toFig. 2 itwill be seen that the said roller is eccentrically placed in the paste pot, and with a limited portion of its circumference extending through an opening in the wall of that device, whereby it is brought into contact with the pasting belt.

The surface of the roller 75 is provided with a number of horizontal grooves 77 shown only in Fig. 1, and in consequence only the cylindrical sections of the roller which are between the grooves 77 are actually incontact with the pasting belt. When the paste less pasting belt put in motion, the roller 75 will be rotated by its frictional contact with the belt, and the paste contained in the grooves p transferred to the surface of the belt in separated strips.

To effect an intermittent motion to the endless belt 7 0, in order that it may, through.

carried through the machine by the carriers 20 of the endless conveyer sprocket chain 19, a ratchet wheel 79 is placed loosely over the projecting end of the stud 65 and fastened to the upper surface of the hub of the pulley 64; and upon the ratchet wheel and unattached thereto is laid an arm 80 which is also loose on the stud. A spring held pawl arm 80 with its point inengagement with theteeth of the ratchet wheel, and the end of the arm 80 is connected by a link 84 to I an extension ofthe'secondary carriage.

With the construction described, a reciprocating motion of the secondary carriage efi'ects an intermittent rotary movement of the .ulley 64 and a movement of the endless pastlng belt, but in one direction only.

'85 is a stem ending forward from the secondary carriage 45, having at its end a plunger 87, which is covered with a block 9 of some compressible material, such as sponge rubber; and the position of the rubber-shod plunger with respect to the portion of the endless pasting belt which is between the rollers 69, is such that at each forward stroke of the plunger that portion of the pasting belt is pressed outward and into the path of the heads of the cans as they are carried along by the endless conveyer s rocket chain; and as at this time one of t e cans to be labeled will be in alinement with the plunger, a result due to the ar-.

secured to the inner end of a rod 92. The

outer end of the rod is threaded and passes loosely through a stand 93'forming, practically, a part of the secondary carriage. It also passes through an internally threaded beveled gear wheel 95, the hub of which is adapted to turn freely in a second stand 97, immediately in the rear of the first; and the two stands are so placed that they prevent movement of the said beveled gear wheel longitudinally of the threaded stem, and so adapt the said wheel as a nut which, upon being rotated, forces the stem and its plunger either inward or outward according to the direction of its rotation.

In the operation of the machine, the secondary carriage 47, now under consideration, together with its attachments just de scribed, has a reciprocating motion transversely of the main carriage 42, similar to and in unison with the other secondary carriages 45 and 49, as before stated; and while the plunger 90 is susceptible to movement in common with the carriage and also to a motion independently thereof, to vary its position with respect to the label holder and bring the end of a mass or stack of labels shown in Fig. 6'and denoted by A, to the outer end of the holder by merely turning the stem, it is necessary for the proper operation of the machine that an independent forward movement of the plunger in the holder should automatically take place, during each double stroke of the label holder.

The independent automatic movement just referred to is required for the reason that at each operation of the machine a label is taken from the stack, and. in consequence tlie next or adjoining label must take its p ace.

It is common 'in labeling machines to feed a stack of labels toward the object to which a label is to be a plied by means of a spring, or a weight and pulley, but it is believed that in this machine the commonly. used feeding appliances would not prove entirely satisfactory, and I have therefore adop id a positive feed and one that can be adjusted to such a nicety, that a single label, without regard to the thickness of the labels used,

can be applied to acan at each operation of the machine, as will .now be explained. On a fixed stud 98 (shown only in dotted lines in Fig. 4) carried by the secondary carriage, is loosely placed a ratchet wheel 99, having on its face a beveled pinion 100 which is in mesh with the threaded beveled gear wheel or nut 95; and erected on the main carriage 42, is a stand 102, having a slot s at its end. On the hub of the ratchet wheel 99, or upon the stud carrying the ratchet wheel, is placed a loose arm 103, the upper end of which is slotted like the stand 102 which is behind it.

105 is a pin which extends loosely through the slot in the arm 103 and is tightened 1n 'theslot s in the stand 102; and 107 is a spring-held pawl, the point of which is in gear with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 99'.

From the foregoing. description of the label-feeding mechanism, it will be understood that in the forward movement of the secondary carriage the arm 103 carrying the pawl 107 is slightly held back, due to its loose attachment to the pin 105 which being practically a part of the main carriage 42, is fixed, and the ratchet wheel is drawn away from the pawl 107 which only clicks on its teeth. But in the return or backward I motion of the secondary carriage, the swingmg of the arm 103 in a contrary direction has a reverse effect, and the pawl produces a partial rotation of the'ratchet wheel and with it the beveled pinion 100 which, being in effect a nut, causes a forward movement of the plunger and the stack A of labels; and by reason of the proper proportions of the various parts of the-mechanism, and particularly in the use of the swinging arm 102 and the vertical adjustment of the pin 105, a feed. of the stack of labels at each backward stroke of the secondary carriage equivalent to the thickness of a label can be easily obtained.

108 is a sleeve placed over the end of the label holder 89 (see particularly Figs. 4, 5

and 6) and held yieldingly in its extremeoutward position by the studs 109, the stems 110 which are screwed into the studs and whose ends enter holes in projections formed on the sleeve, and the compressed springs .to keep back the stack of labels and yet admit of the outer label being withdrawn from the stack by its adhesion to a previously pasted can head against which it is pressed.

As the stackof labels is pressed tightly against a can head, as shown in Fig. 6, the knives 117 out throu h the outer label by being pushed back a ist'ance corresponding with the thickness of a label. The vacancy left in the label holder by the discharged label is filled in the backward motion of the label holder by the feed mechanism which causes the plunger 90 to be carried forward independently of the holder, notwithstanding that the holder is moving in a contrary direction.

I will now describe the appliances carried by the secondary carriages 49, whereby a label which has been applied to a can head, as described, is pressed tightly against the can to complete the labeling operation.

119 is a stem forming a part of the secondary carriage, to the inner end of which is fastened a circular brush 120. In ex tended experiments made with the view to ascertain the best material to be used as a pad to press the pasted label to the can head after its appliance thereto, I found that bristles applied endwise to the label served a better purpose than any other material with which I am acquainted, for the reason that they, in being forced against an object, have a decided tendency to flare outward and radially, and that the flaring action in the present case served to straighten the newly applied label outwardly from the center thereof.

In order that the cans in their passage through the machine will be held closely against the carriers 20 of the conveyer chain 19 and thereby centralize the cans with respect to the paste, and label applying devices, and the appliance for pressing the applied label closely to the can head, and that without exerting such force as might injure the cans, or materially increase the power necessary to operate the machine, I

extend over the entire-path taken by the cans in the labeling operation .a suitable loose .65 chain 122 which is covered at its lower side with a strip 123 of some soft material such as felt or leather. This protected chain is attached at its ends to horizontal bars 124 which are supported at a proper height by y the posts 125, and allowed to sag suificiently to bear with a proper weight on the cans,

as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the foregoing I have described 'the machine as adapted to apply labels to cans while the same are passin through the machine in a horizontal position, but as such position of the cans during the operation is not absolutely necessary, and has been arbitrarily selected as the preferred one, I have shown in Fig. 7,- to which reference should now be made, a machine embodying practically all the features above described, but in which, by turning the machine bodily around 90 degrees to the right, the conveyer sprocket chain 19 is shown as arranged to move in a horizontal plane, and the cans as carried by the conveyer while in a vertical position; but as such a change would not involve invent-ion, I have only identified certain of the elements of'the machine by reference characters, and have omitted a de' tailed description of the machine.

Supposing the machine, shown in the precedingfigures, to be in motion with the cans X X and X distributed on the conveyer sprocket chain as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2; that the pasting belt has received paste from the paste pot and is in a condition'to transis supplied with labels, and that the pasting, label aflixing and label pressing devices are in the positions represented in those figures, the operation of the machine is as follows: At this time, the main carriage is moving to the right, carrying with it the three second- 1 conveyer chain; and it is during this period of highest speed of the main carriage that the operating devices carried by the secondfer paste to a can head; that the label holder ary carriages perform their respective func- .By reference again to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that can X has not yet reached the pasting belt; that can X which is supposed to have had its head pasted during a prior operation of the machine, has not arrived at thepoint at which a label is to be applied thereto; and that can X has been labeled' in the operation immediately preceding the present one, but has advanced to the place where the label pressing devices come into action.. To bring all. theseelements of the machine into the relative positions whereby the labeling operation 1s properly performed, the driving mechanism, beginning with the cams, is so arranged that at the time that the main carriage attains its maximum speed, the paste applying, label ailixing and the' label pressing devices have reached the end of their forward or active stroke and have performed their several functions, and that relaxation of the said devices takes place while the main carriage is moving at its highest speed.

From the foregoing description it must not be inferred that the reduction in speed of the main carriage must necessarily be exactly coincident with the time that the secondary. carriages begin their backward or return movement, as the rapid movement may continue until the main carriage has nearly reached the end of its stroke. considering this point it must be borne in mind that it has before been stated that the reduction in speed of the main carriage, due to the peculiar formation of the spiral groove of the cam, is mainly for'the purpose of preventing shock in the change of direction of the carriage. It 'must also be borne in mind that it is due to the concentricity of a portion of the cam groove in the end face of the said cam, that all three I of the label afiixing devices are held stationary, as far as movement transversely of the machine is concerned, for a proper time at the-termination of their forward stroke.

I have described one complete operation of the machine, and it will be understood that the operating parts have now assumed their original positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the foregoing, I have described what I believe to be the devices best suited to efiect the labeling of the heads of cans while the same are moving longitudinally of the machine, through the agency of a longitudinally reciprocating carriage carrying reciprocating secondary carriages which have a motion transversely of the path of the main carriage, and'upon which are mounted the pasting and label-applying devices, and the appliances for pressing the applied labels tightly to the can heads. But it is evident that the operations of the essential elements of the machine above mentioned can be produced in many different ways, and by various appliances other than those specified, and I therefore consider it within the scope of the present invention to employ any combinations of devices which will effect the operation of the main elements of the machine above enumerated to produce the results described.

I claim as my invention,

1. In a labeling machine, a continuously moving conveyer belt adapted to carry articles longitudinally of the machine, combined with labeling devices, means to effect an independent longitudinal forward and back ward movement of the labeling devices the former movement being in a direction in common with that of the said conveyer belt, and other means to cause the said labeling devices while so moving, to have a trans- I verse forward movement to bring them into contact with the articles, and hold them in such contact for a period, substantially as,

ment being in common with that of the conveyer chain, and label applying devices supported by the said carriage,'hav1ng a movement in unison with the same, and also an independent motion in a direction transversely of that of the carriage, whereby the label applying devices will perform their function with respect to the cans as the same are in motion or passing through the machine, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a can labeling machine, a continuously moving conveyer chain adapted to carry cans longitudinally of the machine, a reciprocating main carriage having a forward and backwardmovemen't its forward movement being in common with the conveyer chain, secondary carriages seated on the main carriage having a transverse forward motion toward and from the conveyer chain, the said secondary carriages having as elements thereof, devices to apply. paste to a can, means to apply a label to the pasted head of a can, and an appliance to press the afiixed label tightly against the pasted label, the three operations being performed simultaneously and on different cans, substantially as specified.

4. In a can labeling machine, embodying an endless conveyer chain adapted to carry separated cans longitudinally of the machine, a pasting device which comprises an endless pasting belt having an intermittent movement in a direction the same as that of the conveyer chain and a part of whose surface is adjacent to and parallel with the path taken by the heads of the cans to be labeled, means to apply paste to the outer surface of the pasting belt, and devices to push the pasted belt against the head of a can during the longitudinal movement of the conveyer chain, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a can labeling machine, an endless conveyer belt adapted to carry cans longitudinally of the machine and a main carriage havinga forward and backward movebels in the holder toward and into the path of the can heads and press the front label independently of the holder against a pasted can head while the same is in motion, a distance equal to the thickness of a label, the

feeding of the labels being efi'ected during each complete stroke of the secondary carriage, substantially as specified.

6. In a labeling machine, a continuously moving conveyer chain adapted to convey cans longitudinally of the machine, a reciprocating main carriage having a forward movement in common with the conveyor cham, and a secondary carria e seated on the main carriage having a orward and backward motion transversely of that of the conveyer chain, combined with a brush forming a part of the secondary carriage which in the forward motion of the same is pressed into contact with a label newly applied to a i can head and while the can is in motion,

isiulstantially as and for the purpose speci- 7. In a labeling machine, embodying a continuously moving conveyer adapted to convey cans longitudinally of the machine, a pasting appliance to apply paste to a can head while the same is in motion, which comprises a moving belt, a paste pot having separated discharge openings in .the portion of its wall which is in contact with the said belt, whereby the paste is distributed on the belt in strips, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. In a labeling machine, embodying a continuously moving conveyer adapted to convey cans longitudinally of the machine, a pasting appliance to apply paste to a can head while the same is in motion, which comprises an intermittently moving belt, a paste pot having separated discharge openings in the portion of its wall which is in .contact with the said belt, whereby; the paste is distributed on the belt in strips, gulstantially as and for the purpose speci- 9. In a labeling machine, embodying a continuously moving conveyer adapted to convey cans longitudinally of the machine, a pasting appliance to apply paste to a can head while the same is in motion, which comprises an intermittently moving belt, a

paste pot having separated discharge openings in the portion of its wall which is in contact with the said belt, whereby the paste is distributed on the belt in strips, and a device to push the pasted belt against a can head while the same is in motion, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

10. In a can labeling machine, a continuously moving conveyor having carriers thereon whereby the cans are moved through the machine, combined with labeling devices adapted to apply labels to the heads of the cans while in movement, and a slack chain supported over the path of the cans I and resting thereon to retain the cans in contact with the carriers, substantially as specified.

' 11. In a can labeling machine, a continuously moving conveyor having carriers thereon whereby the cans are moved through the machine combined with labeling devices adapted'to apply labels to the heads of the cans while in movement, and a slack'chain having its underside covered with a soft flexible material, supported over the path of the cans and resting thereon, to retain the cans in contact with the carriers, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

FREDERICK W. WILD, JR.

,Witnesses THOMAS G. HULL, WM. T. HOWARD. 

